Mikkel Harder, Kulturmonitor 25 March 2024: As a nation, Denmark sets global standards for film, design and gastronomy. As a theatre nation, we can do the same if government funding follows the art to a greater extent and not just the buildings it takes place in. In this way, society will get even more out of its investment in the performing arts, both artistically and financially, so that Denmark will also be known around the world as a theatre nation.
Danish theatre artists are good at creating their own works and establishing successful companies that tour both in Denmark and abroad. Hundreds of performances annually are in the so-called "independent field". They are not directly funded through grants to metropolitan and regional theatres, regional stages and the Royal Danish Theatre, but can apply for support from the Danish Arts Foundation for production and to a small extent for operations.
The independent field is an important part of the citizens' encounter with the performing arts, where the local, experimental and innovative is allowed to unfold, which ultimately also benefits the established stages and the Danish theatre-goers with hundreds of performances across the country and thus an active contribution to the government's vision that culture should not be reserved for a special postcode.
Clear demand from abroad
From the government's side, however, the majority of funding is directed towards the institutional field. In this way, state support for the performing arts is very much building-based.
Artistic positions are not advertised, and more than 80% of Danish performing artists work as freelancers and less than five per cent of Danish actors have a seasonal contract. Despite these conditions, the independent field manages to export theatre performances all over the world. When we collaborate with foreign theatres and other performing arts institutions, we notice a clear demand for Danish content.
In May 2023, Denmark received its first cultural policy report since 1997. After seeing the report's figures, Minister of Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt (M) concluded that "culture is good business for Denmark and that we should look at culture in that light in the future".
The report showed that the cultural industries in Denmark have a total production of DKK 109 billion. This surpasses sectors such as agriculture, forestry and food, which have an output of DKK 87 billion.
But the economic potential is far from being realised and is not likely to be.
Qualified help is needed
Both the state and Danish foundations distribute large amounts of money annually to the performing arts. The funds are given to specific projects, but rarely to operations, administration and development. All activities and expenses outside of the performing arts projects are left to the performing artists themselves.
If the funds allocated by the state and foundations are to create the most value and make a difference for Danes, independent performing artists need qualified help with operations, communication and business development so that their work can mean even more to more people.
This commentary was originally published in Kulturmonitor on 25 March 2024 Photo: Martin Høyer